On the main card of this weekend’s ACB 87 card, Takeya Mizugaki returns to action against UK standout Pietro Menga.

Mizugaki is a legend of the sport with 36 bouts to his name, fighting some of the top names in the sport while fighting under the UFC and WEC. Since his departure from the UFC, Mizugaki has found a new home in Russian promotion ACB. Having lost his opening two bouts for the promotion he now looks to find his feet when he returns this weekend in what is his first bout in the UK.

“Yes it’s going to be my first time in the UK so I am really looking forward to visiting the country partly because I admire many professional cyclists from the UK as well,” laughed Mizugaki.

His opponent is making the move up from flyweight to bantamweight for this bout. While acknowledging the threat Menga brings to the fight, Mizugaki is not too phased about him moving up a weight class for this bout.

“Menga can finish his opponents on either striking or submission and he is well-balanced,” said Mizugaki. “I consider him to be a very dangerous opponent. I have fought fighters that came up from a lighter weight class so I am not so concerned about this.”

Following his previous two losses, Mizugaki is hoping to take things back to how they used to be in this fight and make it his fight again. Something he feels he hasn’t been able to do in recent bouts.

“Ever since I lost two in a row and got released from UFC, honestly, I haven’t been able to do my fight. So for this upcoming fight, I emphasized on going back to the way I used to fight.”

After 36, fights it’s hard to imagine the damage that has been done to one’s body and after being finished via strikes in his last fight. It prompted Mizugaki to take a rest as he enters the last part of his career. Following a year out and him looking to bring back the way he used to fight, we could see a fresh fighter in Mizugaki as he enters the final knockings of his career. Mentioning how a fight in Japan would be on the cards if ACB ever decided to make the trek over.

“Last year I took a bit of break because I got TKO’d by striking to the head. But right now I am in the last phase of my pro career so I want to fight as much as possible. If ACB can do an event in Japan that would be fantastic and for sure, I would like to fight in that event.”

Looking back on his incredible career to date, Mizugaki doesn’t feel he has achieved enough in the sport to call it a day just yet. Now entering into the final phase of his career he hopes to bring things back to the way they used to be and pursue his goal of fighting against some of the best in the world once more.

“l don’t I achieved enough. I want to get back into my old form and would like to fight world’s top fighters again.”